


Mythstuck

by TheOtherAlice



Series: Mythstuck [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, M/M, Mythstuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-10-23
Packaged: 2018-02-22 06:59:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2498840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOtherAlice/pseuds/TheOtherAlice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Awful fanfic in which John the naiad meets Karkat the satyr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mythstuck

**Author's Note:**

> Awful fanfic in which John the naiad meets Karkat the satyr.  
> never published before, amateur work, please excuse the terrible writing

Fuck

You fucking idiot. You knew this would happen, curse your thick ginger head, and yet here you are completely unprepared, with only a set of pipes to your name. Running. For your life. Ouch! Damn now they’re fucking throwing rocks.

Glancing back is a bad idea. The satyr’s hoof slips on the rocks and he stumbles. Another rock hits his back.

Fuck why are the rocks slippery? Shit Karkat, you’re not even looking where you’re going!

So he seems to be heading along a river bank towards a waterfall. He doesn’t hesitate, and stares ahead hoping to spot a solution. For once luck is on his side as he spots an outcrop of rocks that one could possibly leap onto to cross the waterfall, and hopefully slow the pursuers. That’s the plan anyway.

Karkat reaches the drop, and tries not to notice the rocks below as he begins his run-up, his hoofs leave the shore and land a little wobbly on the slippery rocks in the middle, he pauses to assess the next leap when a well-aimed missile clocks him on his left horn. His muscles begin to stiffen as the literally paralysing pain of such a blow begins to move through his body.

Fuck. Better to die down there than let them take your sorry ginger ass back for more punishment, he thinks as his vision swims with blackness. With his last remaining control of his body, he angles himself to fall into the fast flowing waters.

 

* * *

 

 

Karkat opens his eyes somewhere dark. His face is pressed against cold wet rock and he can just hear the sweet sound of a violin over the rushing of blood around his head. Is this what death feels like? The rock isn’t smooth, and sticks into him at odd angles here and there. He grunts holding his head as he sits up, and the music stops. Was he imagining it? He freezes when a pair of glowing blue eyes appear out of the gloom.

‘Boo!’

Karkat yelps and bangs his horns on the roof of whatever kind of cave this is. Fuck not again, he moans as he feels himself losing consciousness, but he manages to cling to reality by sitting on a nearby rock and hanging his head below his knees.

The other creature was slapping its leg at the satyr’s reaction, hooting with laughter, much to Karkats annoyance.

‘Oh man I really got you there! Ha that’s so great, I bet you feel silly now, maybe even a bit sheepish? Haha’ chortled the creature.

By now Karkats eyes had adjusted to the gloom, and he could see that he was not dead, but in some sort of hollow in the rocks behind the waterfall, which was making the noise he had thought was rushing blood. The giggly creature reclining on a low slab of smoothened rock was what looked like a young human boy, with dark hair, pale-blueish slightly translucent skin and holding a beautifully carved violin. His glowing eyes and somewhat long pointed ears revealed he was not in fact human, and was most likely a naiad or a fucking kelpie knowing my luck, thought Karkat. He bristled with annoyance at its antics and was about to start giving it a piece of his mind when it spoke.

‘Oh dear, I am sorry you bumped you head so hard, I’m John, and this is my humble abode. You’re quite lucky I was here when you fell, plucked you right out of the waterfall I did!’ continued the naiad, ‘I’ve always been attracted to bright colours, and your ginger hair is no different, so pretty.’ He said reaching out to touch a damp lock.

‘FUCK YOUR INTERFERING FACE, YOU SLIME SUCKER.’Karkat spat, swatting johns hand away, ‘MY FUCKING RED HAIR HAS DONE NOTHING BUT BRING ME BAD FUCKING LUCK, THIS ENCOUNTER IN-FUCKING-CLUDED YOU HORN-LESS TROGLADITE.’

‘Aw, you don’t mean that I’m sure, such an unusual colour must bring all the ladies. Or is it that you’d rather it brought the gents?’ suggested John fluttering his eyelashes teasingly.

Karkat’s flushed all the way to his ears at Johns peals of laughter echo around the little cave.

‘Relax kiddo!’ giggled the naiad, ’So what’s your name?’

‘Karkat. No fucking nicknames. And thanks I guess, for you know, I mean it’s not your fault I was in the middle of changing my state of existence when you pulled me out of the water.’

‘What? Don’t tell me you jumped! Oh, man. I’m not meant to save those ones, guess I’ll have to throw you back then.’ He sighed

‘Wait, wha-‘ began Karkat startled

John leaped up and tackled Karkat back into the thundering waterfall.

 

* * *

 

 

This time Karkat was conscious as he started to drown. It was much worse. The pounding water pummelled him under the surface, preventing him from reaching precious air again and again. He was losing it, water began to fill his nose, his throat, and he was really going to drown! A shimmering face hovered in front of him, grinning devilishly, and Karkat seriously wondered of it was Charon to take him to the underworld. Then he blacked out.

This time Karkat woke coughing and spluttering, his throat burning as he vomited water and then dry retched on the grassy shore. He then slumped down onto his back feeling shaky and cold, shivering in the fading afternoon light. After a few moments his speeding heart rate began to slow, the water had left his ears and he could hear the sweet melody that had been dancing around him for a few minutes now.

That fucker. Thought Karkat angrily. I can’t believe that little shit. What a douche-muffin.

‘Hey Karkat’ called John musically, perched on a nearby outcrop, ’Saved you again!’

‘you most certainly did NOT SAVE ME AGAIN you little FUCK.’ Croaked Karkat, ignoring his protesting throat as he yelled at John. ‘What were you trying to do you FUCKING KELPIE! KILL ME? Ha! Well you failed you miserable dunder-fuck!’

‘Dude, it was just a prank, jeez. Not my fault you can’t swim now is it? Anyway I’m not a kelpie, I’m a naiad obviously.’ Said John flicking his silky blue-black hair. His skin looked normal in the light of day, and his eyes weren’t glowing either. If it wasn’t for those ears he would look like a handsome young human. ‘Anyway, you didn’t seem to care much about you wellbeing just a moment ago, so what’s all this fuss for?’

‘I never said I was trying to kill myself you dweeb. I was just not expecting to survive the fall.’ Karkat explained grumpily. ‘I was being chased, and well you saw how sensitive my horns are. Full hits usually kinda cause paralysis and unconsicousness. Kinda hard to swim in that state, so I assumed I would die.’

The uncomfortable silence grew slowly.

‘So what did you do?’ asked John

‘What? You ASSUME it was MY fault that I was born fucking RED HAIRED and that my clan happens to be the most FUCKING BACKWARDS one around, and HATE ME because APPARENTLY it reminds everyone we’re ALL HALF-FUCKING-DEMONS? Yeah my FUCKING BAD.’ Karkat didn’t mention what else he had done to invoke the tribe wrath, but that’s for another time. ‘And I don’t even have my FUCKING pipes any more either.’ He roared.

‘Oh, yeah I did find those actually, if you wanted them back.’ Replied John chirpily. He waved his hand and the rippling surface of the river spat them out onto Karkats lap with a splash.

‘Fucking fantastic.’ Grumbled Karkat looking at their sorry state. He blew gingerly and grimanced at the scratchy sound.

‘Well I have to get back to luring young ladies with my musical skills before the whole day is wasted.’ John said beginning to play.

The music really was quite intoxicating. It sounded like the promise of something forbidden, of attaining something just out of reach. It was the sound of giggling girls and stammering boys, of joyful encounters and innocent love. It sounded like all the things Karkat had been excluded from all laid out for him to par take in.

‘Wait, I thought you said you weren’t a kelpie. Why are you luring people into your river?’ blustered Karkat suddenly, breaking the melodic spell.

John sighed,’ Rivers need offerings to flow properly. It’s just how it is. ‘

‘We’ll see about that!’ challenged Karkat putting his pipes to his lips.

For every inviting note John played, Karkat wove a threat into it. An invitation to start a fight, or an argument. The music sounded like rhetorical threats called out long after the rival is out of earshot. Anger resentment swallowed Johns invitations and spat them back out like a challenge.

John frowned at the turn of the mood and began to play faster, to play of the joie de vivre. Karkat retaliated again with minor notes about the monotony of existence. Where John’s melody praised the sun for shining Karkat played of it being much the same as yesterday.

John’s music became teasing, yesterday you were running for your life, now you’re safe and free, it seemed to say. Karkat’s melancholy melody faltered. It changed tentatively into something defiant that rang with the enjoyment of shadenfreude.

Their duet became merry and bold, Karkat began to play some bars of an old satyr song about savouring the triumph of defeating an opponent after a long rivalry. He hadn’t even noticed that several pixies and water faeries had appeared, drawn to music and were dancing across the river in merriment.

John slowly began to turn the music back into a beckoning, seductive melody. Still celebratory, but in a way that asks others to join the fun. Karkat joined in, no longer caring about whether John was going to drown somebody, or not. He played his own longings into the music. Changing the dynamic again, now into an almost mournful melody, the sad sob story that wins over a lady’s heart, or a beautiful memory that cannot be relived.

Now dryads had felt drawn to the stream, and were swaying sensuously to the melody.

At some point John and Karkat had locked eyes, and now they played their duet as if they were the only ones who could hear it. It became softer, of kind gestures and thankfulness. It was gratitude and the tentative reaching out of starting a new friendship.

The song faded gracefully into silence and only when the creatures all around became to applaud and thank them for their song did they break eye contact and notice their audience


End file.
